Welcome to today’s blog where I will be discussing ways to overcome our fear and anxiety of driving, as well as going over the causes and indicators of driving-related anxiety. It is a subject that can relate to all of us, and I will be talking about it in a manner that is relatable.
Have you ever been in a car accident or known someone who has? It is common for us to attribute the most anxiety to driving, while the experience of an accident is like an anxiety-inducing event. Riding or driving in a motorized vehicle can likely contribute to a persistent and intense fear or phobia of driving.
There are many ways in which people experience anxiety while driving, and it is common for someone who feels anxious when driving at night or over bridges to not trust other drivers on the road because they may be afraid to drive.
Completely abstaining from driving because of the immense anxiety associated with the act, certain individuals suffering from a fear of driving will go to great lengths to avoid getting behind the wheel. Even when not actively driving, some individuals may still experience anxiety related to driving. Most individuals with driving anxiety harbor a fear of something negative occurring on the road. However, in certain instances, it is possible to ascribe this fear to particular situations or causes.
Do you remember the day you got your first license? It was probably the most exhilarating moment of your teenage life, being alone in that car and feeling totally free. Except for wanting to get to your high school football team’s away game on time, you likely didn’t have a care in the world (hopefully, some, well).
Only when you’re on the road, you can’t stop worrying or thinking about the possibility of someone else or you dying because it feels like being in prison. It felt like a privilege once, but now it feels incredibly tense. The anxiety you have developed makes you feel like driving is an unrestrained feeling that took a turn in the opposite direction somewhere.
Cars are one of the greatest conduits of our freedom instead. Vehicles only get us from point A to point B. I don’t just mean the feeling of driving alone for the first time, I also understand how it feels to miss that freeing feeling.
Driving can potentially increase the likelihood of a negative outcome on the road, especially when you consider the increased levels of anxiety that can arise. It is important to recognize that anxiety while driving is a scary and genuine concern, regardless of whether you have a history of anxiety or any formal diagnoses. Today, I want to discuss a different type of anxiety that anyone can experience.
I want to help you address your driving phobia so that you can live a productive, social, and normal life, even if we only get as far as acknowledging your anxiety and discomfort while sitting and driving.
Please allow us to assist you in addressing the phobia of driving, so that you can confidently explain to others how it makes you feel anxious. It is not always easy to express the extent of anxiety you feel internally.
Read this: How To Describe Anxiety To Someone Who Doesn’t Experience It.